Iran arrests over 3,000 citizens for aiding Israel during war, spreading propaganda

The arrests are part of a wider crackdown that has included prosecutions and property seizures. They follow the detention of more than 50,000 people after January's anti-regime protests, with authorities accusing many of aiding US-Israeli strikes and acting against the state.

In Short

• Authorities said 684 detainees carried out operational actions on Israel's behalf
• Another 1,258 people were accused of anti-state political propaganda activities
• Officials said 1,061 indictments were issued and hundreds faced asset seizures

Iran’s judiciary on Monday said that more than 3,000 people had been arrested in recent months over allegations of working with what it called "the enemy." Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir told Tehran’s semi-official Student News Network (SNN) that 3,292 people had been taken into custody, including 684 accused of carrying out "operational actions" for Israel.

Jahangir said 1,258 others had been accused of spreading political propaganda against the state. He added that 1,061 indictments had so far been issued in connection with those in custody and that the state had already seized the assets of hundreds of people it described as suspected traitors.

The recent revelation adds to a broader pattern of arrests, prosecutions and property seizures in recent months. Last week, the judiciary said it had taken over the properties of 100 “traitors” in Isfahan province, though no further details were given, reported The New York Post.

The latest detentions have come after more than 50,000 people were arrested following anti-regime protests in January, which were followed by a violent crackdown on dissent. Since then, Tehran has pursued people it says acted as traitors by helping US-Israeli joint air strikes during the height of the war.

At the time, a provincial branch of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence organisation said: “As the Zionist enemy (Israel) and the US are attempting to invade Iran, they simultaneously activate mercenaries and spies to carry out riots as the next step.”

Human rights groups have accused Iran of using mass detentions and forced confessions to silence critics of the regime. Amnesty International said last month that Iran was “using the cover of what they call ‘wartime conditions’ to intensify their repression of dissent through mass arbitrary arrests, accelerated grossly unfair judicial proceedings, politically motivated executions, harsh prison sentences, and asset confiscations.”

According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Group, at least 40 prisoners, including 19 protesters, had been executed by hanging on politically motivated charges since the start of the year as of June 8. The figures released by the judiciary on Monday add to that wider account of arrests, indictments and asset seizures in recent months.

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